About Harvest
The foundation that Harvest began building on over 35 years ago is the same foundation it stands on today, and that's the commitment to knowing God and making Him known.Harvest's beginnings were humble. There was no great strategy behind the church plant. Harvest's pastor, Greg Laurie, was a part of the Jesus People movement in the late 1960's and was sent out, by his home church, to lead a Bible study in Riverside when he was 19 years old. This Bible study soon outgrew the facility it was meeting in and became a church when it moved to its current location on Arlington Avenue.
Today, God continues to work through Harvest Christian Fellowship. "Looking back," says Pastor Greg, "I can see God's hand at work from the very beginning. It has always been a part of God's plan for us to know Him and make Him known. I encourage you to do the same."
About Pastor Greg
Preaching the word of God for 40 years, Greg Laurie has spent most of that time in his role as Senior Pastor at Harvest. He is the author of many books, including the Gold Medallion Award winner, The Upside-Down Church; his autobiography, Lost Boy; and several devotionals.
Host of the nationally-syndicated radio program, A New Beginning, Pastor Greg is also the founder and featured speaker for Harvest Crusades—contemporary, large-scale evangelistic outreaches that have been attended by more than four million people.
Greg and his wife Cathe have two sons, Christopher—who went to be with the Lord in 2008—and Jonathan; two daughters-in-law, Brittany and Brittni; and five grandchildren, Stella, Lucy, Rylie, Alexandra, and Christopher.
Knowing God And Making Him Known
At Harvest, our mission is to "know God and to make Him known." To that end, we place emphasis on the study of God's Word and the proclamation of the gospel message—that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins and He offers us the free gift of eternal life.
Our culture would have you believe that God doesn't exist, or that God is a mysterious and far-away being, that God is a nebulous aura or aenergy force, or that we are our own gods. But we know from His Word that God is real and that He desires a meaningful relationship with each of us. He wants to communicate with you and wants you to communicate with Him.
If you would like to start a relationship with God, we can help you. Visit KnowGod.org for more information.
The Harvest Community
Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word church comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as "an assembly" or "called-out ones." The church is not a building or a denomination. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ—all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation
The Bible defines church as a body. Each of us are members of that body with different functions and abilities. When one part of the body suffers, it is felt throughout. When one part of the body is not functioning, the rest of the body is impaired. Each part of the body is necessary and each part is significant.
Our Statement of Faith
We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God. Therefore, our ministry emphasizes the exposition of God's Word from Genesis to Revelation, line upon line, precept upon precept.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of Christ, in His Virgin Birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of God, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful humanity, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential, and that repentance from sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way to come into a relationship with God.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life; we further believe His power and gifts are available to believers today.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe it is important to uphold the scriptural practices of the early church. Therefore, we hold to the practice of water baptism and the regular taking of Communion. We do not believe that either of these practices is essential for salvation, but that they serve as a demonstration of our living faith in Christ.
